Chronology of the Early and Middle Bronze Age in Hungary. New results

Abstract

The chronological system established by Paul Reinecke played a significant role in developing a chronological classification of the Hungarian Bronze Age. However, the relative chronology which is currently being used for the Early and Middle Bronze Age by the majority of Hungarian scholars is based on István Bóna’s tempo ral sequence. Although Bóna’s relative chronology is still regarded as the ‘lingua franca’ in Hungary, several attempts have been made to synchronise Bóna’s relative chronological system of the Hungarian Bronze Age with the Reinecke scheme in the last two decades. The present paper compares the two relative chronological systems and highlights some common cornerstones, supported by the most recent AMS 14C dates from the Carpathian Basin.

Keywords

• bronze age
• hungary
• relative chronology
• absolute dating